I started with a 9mm and .38 special. Bought an .40 over xmas and am happy with it. After spending time yesterday with a .45 that will be my next purchase. Its has much less whip than my .40 and is almost as easy to shoot as my 9mm. Range time is improving my accuracy.

These are a few good video to watch to learn proper grip and trigger control. Most pistol inaccuracies are from grip and trigger control/pull problems. Proper grip also controls recoil and accuracy for follow up shots. Wee bit of videos but good to get some basic info.

This picture will show what you are doing wrong trigger pull wise if your point of impact is not where you point of aim is.

These are a few good video to watch to learn proper grip and trigger control. Most pistol inaccuracies are from grip and trigger control/pull problems. Proper grip also controls recoil and accuracy for follow up shots. Wee bit of videos but good to get some basic info.

This picture will show what you are doing wrong trigger pull wise if your point of impact is not where you point of aim is.

These are a few good video to watch to learn proper grip and trigger control. Most pistol inaccuracies are from grip and trigger control/pull problems. Proper grip also controls recoil and accuracy for follow up shots. Wee bit of videos but good to get some basic info.

This picture will show what you are doing wrong trigger pull wise if your point of impact is not where you point of aim is.

My dad taught me to shoot a pistol using his old S&W K-22. My wife and kids learned to shoot a pistol using my Ruger MK II. Honestly I don't see any drawbacks learning to shoot a pistol with a small caliber like the .22LR. At this point you're learning the basics that will apply to every handgun you'll use in the future, safety, aim, grip, cleaning & maintenance etc. The ammo is inexpensive, recoil is nil and they aren't as noisy as larger calibers. The recoil and noise can be significant fear factors for younger shooters, new shooters or ladies. After all these years everyone in my family has moved on to larger calibers (except for my dad - who still has that old S&W K-22).

Another thing to consider - even though you're beginning a little later than some folks might have - if you buy a good .22 pistol right now, it will still be around when you want to teach your wife or kids later on assuming that you take good care of it. That wasn't part of the plan when I bought my MK II - but I'm glad it worked out that way

I've been practicing it since a year ago, I lost 10 lbs the first 2 months.-

Which Beretta, it seems the 92FS is a very popular one.

I had taken half a year of Wing-Chun Kung Fu but simply don't have the schedule nowadays to support such a thing. I really liked it at the time but didn't get quite far enough that I got a good enough grasp of it.

You do have a point though.

My dad taught me to shoot a pistol using his old S&W K-22. My wife and kids learned to shoot a pistol using my Ruger MK II. Honestly I don't see any drawbacks learning to shoot a pistol with a small caliber like the .22LR. At this point you're learning the basics that will apply to every handgun you'll use in the future, safety, aim, grip, cleaning & maintenance etc. The ammo is inexpensive, recoil is nil and they aren't as noisy as larger calibers. The recoil and noise can be significant fear factors for younger shooters, new shooters or ladies. After all these years everyone in my family has moved on to larger calibers (except for my dad - who still has that old S&W K-22).

Another thing to consider - even though you're beginning a little later than some folks might have - if you buy a good .22 pistol right now, it will still be around when you want to teach your wife or kids later on assuming that you take good care of it. That wasn't part of the plan when I bought my MK II - but I'm glad it worked out that way

Yeah the SR22 and Mark 3's look nice, I'm debating if I want a more compact 22 or a long nose job like the mark 3 or my friend's buck mark...

I may just apply for my permit and during my waiting period try out my friends .40(glock 22), his .22 (buck mark) and then my other friend's .22 P22. That should really cover all the different choices I'd be making

I know this question was asked earlier, but I didn't see an answer to it. The first really big question is, what do you intend/plan to do with said firearm? Once you determine a purpose for it, then you can start narrowing the playing field down. Also when most people recommend a firearm, they generally recommend what they like and what works for them. There's a reason that there are so many choices out there, because 1 model does not work for everyone. The best thing for you to do (after you figure out the purpose of your firearm) is to go to your local gun shop and handle as many guns as possible, and try to rent each one that feels comfortable to you. Also take whatever the gun store clerk says with a grain of salt and remember that he is trying to sell you a gun.

It appears that you're leaning towards a .22lr, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. They're affordable and cheap to shoot, and you can really learn the basics without having to worry about things like recoil etc.. As some one already mentioned though, it's not a very good choice for self defense, but it is better than not having a firearm at all.

Also your $500 max budget will easily cover a very nice .22lr, but you'll just barely be breaking into the tuperware guns(glocks, m&p's, xd's, etc). Most of the good polymer gun's start at that range, and if you are interested in getting one of those it is worth it to save up that extra hundred bucks to get a reliable firearm.

I see you mentioned that if you did get a .22lr you'd potentially get a larger caliber in the future. If you end up renting a larger caliber and decide you like it, you might be better off starting with that first; and when that extra money comes around, use it to take some good classes through a reputable instructor.

Either way, no matter which route you go, try to buy something from a quality manufacturer. Every firearms manufacturer is capable of producing duds, but the quality ones will stand behind their product and take care of you in the long run.